


The 5 Times Tony Stark Was Not in the Spider Protection Squad and the 1 Time He Was

by thegooseprincess



Series: Tony and the Spider [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxious Tony Stark, Fluff, Gen, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Natasha Romanov, Rogue Avengers, Sokovia Accords, Spiders, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-08 02:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20282935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegooseprincess/pseuds/thegooseprincess
Summary: It had become a habit before anyone really knew what was going on. And if anyone had asked Tony about it, he would have denied it profusely.Everything is moving so fast! Tony is going back and forth with Thaddeus Ross on making changes to the Sokovia Accords that have the potential to bring his team home, and a few of the Avengers agree to secretly come back to the Compound to help. Meanwhile, Tony discovers Peter's empathy for his eight-legged friends.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic. I already posted it on Tumblr, but my friend pestered me to put it on here too. Hope you like it!

Tony was taking a walk through Central Park with Peter Parker, listening to the kid chatter on aimlessly and quietly trying to let go of this week's anxieties. Well... He was only sort of listening and only sort of trying. After a late night reading over and over and over the new draft of the Accords, and what with the looming dread of meetings with Secretary Ross and the rogue Avengers in the upcoming weeks, he was a little distracted. He threw a sideways glance at the kid and couldn't help but smile. His attention span had lapsed about a mile ago and he now had no clue what Peter was rambling on about, but seeing him all excited and laughing at his own jokes gave Tony life.  


It amazed him how carefree this kid was. Even more amazing was the fact that he had stuck around so long- It had almost been a year since Germany and Tony couldn't begin to fathom how this bright, bubbly, optimistic teenager could stand to be around him, Tony Stark. Heck, Tony could hardly stand to be around himself most days. And on top of everything else, he had somehow managed to single-handedly alienate everyone in his life. And Pepper- Oh, Pepper. His heart twinged painfully thinking about her. After the Sokovia fiasco, she had insisted that they take a break in their relationship. He couldn't blame her. He had been an unmanageable nightmare, and though Pepper was a patient woman, she had her limits. They had only now started to patch things up after the hell he had put her through, and though reconciliation was what he desperately craved, he couldn't help but wonder-  


How long would it be before he screwed up again?  


"Earth to Mr. Stark!"  


Tony was jolted out of his thoughts. He smiled again as Peter's amused eyes met his. Well... Maybe he hadn't alienated _everyone_.  


"Did you hear _anything_ I just said?" Peter laughed in a mock-accusatory tone as they passed into the shade of the trees.  


"Every last word!" Tony said, feigning indignation.  


"Name one thing I've talked about in the past five minutes!"  


"Star Wars."  


Peter's eyes narrowed and his voice dripped with sarcasm, "Astounding. The great Tony Stark is wro- aagghh!"  


The kid stopped dead in his tracks, pulling a comical face and leaving Tony confused.  


"Pete?"  


Peter immediately slipped out of his backpack and fished a web-shooter out of the main compartment. "Make sure no one's looking!" he said, thrusting the backpack into Tony's hands and hurrying toward a low-hanging bush. The older man cast a glance over his shoulder before turning to watch in bewilderment as the kid started stringing thin wisps of webbing between two branches.  


"What-?"  


"I walked through a spider web," Peter said matter-of-factly, as if that answered everything. He was now quickly weaving intricate patterns through the webbing with two fingers.  


"Annnd?"  


Tony now noticed that Peter's left hand was clenched in a loose fist. When he had finished the web, he very carefully unclenched it and deposited a tiny spider onto its new home. Tony made a noise of disbelief and Peter met his gaze with mischievous eyes as he said in what he probably thought was a very sincere tone, "They are my people, Mr. Stark! They must be protected."  


Tony shook his head, laughing. "Kid-" he began. But he just laughed again and put his arm around Peter's shoulder as they continued walking.

What he thought had been a one-time joke turned out to be no joke at all. As the summer wore on, Tony began to notice more and more just how protective Peter was of "his people". From carefully reconstructed webs to daring rescues from inadvertent (or advertent) boot-heels, Peter Parker made sure that his eight-legged friends were offered the same protection that he extended to the citizens of Queens. What was even stranger- he was starting to rub off on Tony. This became evident when the man had trapped a fairly large wolf spider beneath an empty wine glass and promptly carried it outside the restaurant in the middle of date-night dinner one Friday evening. A few heads turned curiously as he settled back into the booth, beside Pepper. She looked up from her salad as if he had lost his mind. He just shrugged awkwardly.  


"I blame Spider-Kid!"  


A smile twitched at the corner of her lips as she leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. "You ready for tomorrow?"  


"Does it matter?"  


His hand trembled a little as he picked up his fork and he wished for the millionth time that Pepper and Rhodey did not have to be halfway around the world the same day the rogue Avengers were scheduled to return to the Compound. Everything was happening so fast. He silently cursed Thaddeus Ross. Pepper put a steadying hand on his and tried to meet his eyes.  


"Why don't you invite the kid?"  


"Why don't you pick a dessert?"  


An anxious pit formed in his stomach that had nothing to do with the salad. He hoped the wolf spider had found a nice crevice to crawl into, away from the unforgiving feet that shuffled relentlessly across the sidewalk. He tried not to picture it crushed beneath a shoe or picked off by a pigeon. Had he picked a good spot to let it go? Would it be able to survive? Find food? Maybe he should have let it stay inside. Left it alone. Let it be. Maybe, maybe, maybe... He leaned his head against Pepper's shoulder, feeling sick. _Gosh dang it, Peter._ That kid had really gotten to him.


	2. The Rescuing of the Recluse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a rescue attempt is attempted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! This chapter is from Peter's POV. Enjoy.

"Your hand is shaking again."  


"Thank you, Captain Obvious. And if the next words out of your mouth are 'You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm', I'm going to throw this screwdriver at you."  


Peter rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Mr. Stark!"  


He turned back to the web-shooter he was working on. It had been a weird morning. Weird, but also really, _really_ good. He had been unexpectedly woken at 4 am by his phone buzzing on his nightstand and in a sleepy haze, he had hit the 'answer call' button without even checking the caller ID.  


"H'lo?" he'd mumbled deadly into the phone.  


"Hey, Peter! You up?" came the obnoxiously chipper, yet comfortably familiar voice on the other end.  


"M'str Stark?" He had pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and stifling a large yawn. "I 'm now, I guess. 'S goin' on? You okay?"  


There was a pause and Peter thought he heard a slow, shaky breath.  


"You're still a fan of the Avengers, right?"  


"Yeah?" Peter had replied cautiously, unsure of just where this too-early-in-the-morning conversation was going.  


"How would you like to meet them today? A few of them, I mean... And not in a fight this time."  


Peter remembered feeling as if his eyes were going to bug out of their sockets. Before he knew it, he had agreed to spend the week at the Compound with Tony to meet the Avengers when they arrived. Peter grinned as he remembered the conversation. After he had hung up, he had eaten a nice breakfast, cleared the idea with May, and waited for Happy to pick him up outside his apartment. Now, he and Tony were buried deep in their respective projects in the lab at the Compound. All of Tony's jittery early morning restlessness had worn off, and Peter could tell that his nerves were kicking in. He could assume that the man's thoughts were spiraling out of control, as they often did, no matter how hard he tried to conceal it. Peter started fishing for a conversation topic to distract him.  


"Mr. Stark? Am I going to be meeting the others as Spider-Man or Peter Parker?"  


"Hm?" Tony hummed, not looking up from his work. "It's up to you, kid."  


Peter's smile faded slightly. Tony had been acting so distracted and stressed the past few weeks, and the imminent return of the old team only seemed to exacerbate his anxieties. Peter couldn't blame him after what happened in Siberia. Tony hadn't told him everything, but he could fill in the gaps. Without thinking, he placed a hand on top of his mentor's to steady it. Tony stared at it for a moment, as if unsure of what to do, and Peter quickly pulled away, hoping he hadn't done something too terribly wrong. He felt his face burning red.  


"It's okay, kid," Tony finally said. To Peter's surprise, he reached over and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Thanks for coming over on such short notice. Introducing yourself as Spider-Man would be fine, but I know for a fact that they would _love_ to meet Peter Parker."  
The older man cleared his throat awkwardly and turned back to his project. Peter followed suit, his smile returning. They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. That is, until the peace was shattered like glass. Without warning, Tony let out a blood-curdling scream, nearly startling Peter out of his chair as he automatically reached for his half-finished web-shooter.  


"Mr. Stark?!"  


Tony was grasping at his chest and sucking in deep breaths of air. "Peter!" he said, his voice cracking a little. "One of your eight-legged friends just skittered over my hand and across my repulsor. Kindly get it _out of my lab!_"  


Peter let out a relieved laugh. "That's all? I thought someone was murdering you!"  


"Yeah?! I think it was a brown recluse, so I was probably on the verge of being murdered!" Tony sputtered. He jabbed a finger at a dark shape scurrying across the table. 

"There it goes! There it goes!"  


"Drama queen," Peter muttered, loud enough for someone without enhanced hearing to pick up on. He hopped up onto the table in a single bound.  


"Don't sass me!" came the indignant reply.  


There it was. There was the Tony that Peter knew. He grinned.  


The spider was now huddled up against a tool kit. It was most definitely a recluse, but Peter shoved a pang of anxiety aside. At least it wasn't radioactive. He dove for it, knocking the kit to the ground in the process. A box of screws turned over and scattered across the table and many rolled to the floor. The spider also fell to the floor and made a run for the shadows.  


"Watch it, Underoos! You're breaking my lab!"  


Peter launched himself again and nearly collided with DUM-E. The robot gave a high-pitched _chirrup_ as he picked up a fire extinguisher and swung it towards the spider-kid, inadvertently knocking over all of the glassware at Peter's work station. Peter tried to catch the beakers, but to no avail. Chemicals spilled out everywhere and there was a loud _BANG!_ as they reacted with each other. Some loose papers suddenly burst into flame. Both Peter and Tony were yelling now. DUM-E beeped excitedly and doused them both with the extinguisher. They both shut up. The fire burned.  


Peter reached to wipe some of the foam off his face, but just ended up smearing it. He snickered when he saw Tony was covered in the stuff too. Tony was trying to look put out, but was having difficulty due to the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He wrested the extinguisher from DUM-E's claw and aimed it at the fire.  


"Spider got away."  


Tony shrugged. "I suppose he can stay. He can earn his keep by eating any other crawlies that make their way in here." His voice dropped a couple octaves, "The Lab's Best Defender." He chuckled at his own joke. Peter laughed too, not quite knowing why Tony found it funny. And suddenly they couldn't stop. Tony tried to pick some of the foam out of Peter's hair, but he was shaking too hard from laughter to really have much success.  


"Pete, buddy, you are _without a doubt_ the _weirdest_ kid I have ever met!"  


"Look who's talking, weirdo! The Lab's Best Defender!" he mimicked Tony, who laughed even harder.  


He looked like he wanted to say something, but he just picked a piece of foam off his arm and flicked it at Peter. Overhead, FRIDAY's cool voice sounded through the speakers. "Boss, the Avengers have arrived."  


They were still giggling uncontrollably as Tony opened the door. Steve, Natasha, and Clint stood on the doorstep. Peter took one look at the startled expressions on their faces and burst into another fit of full-on laughter.  


"Hey guys!" Tony somehow managed to say through streams of tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rescued two brown recluses this summer. That is all.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)


	3. The Formation of the Spider Protection Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nat, Clint, and Steve are in this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! Hurrah!

Tony's good mood had evaporated the instant he had met Steve's sheepish gaze. They both had a lot to get off their chests and upon entering the Compound, much to Peter, Clint, and Natasha's dismay, they had almost immediately launched into a yelling match. Within the first few minutes, Peter's senses had started to overwhelm him, and he felt like he was on the verge of an anxiety attack. Natasha must have noticed, because she gently elbowed him. Her eyes were surprisingly gentle. 

"Want to get out of here?" 

He nodded, though he didn't like the thought of leaving his mentor like this. 

"They'll be alright," Clint tried to reassure him. "They've missed each other." 

The trio stepped outside, putting some distance between themselves and the heated argument. The sky was partially cloudy and the air was warm, which helped Peter to relax a little. 

"So, Spider-Man," Natasha said. "It's been a while since we last met." 

Peter's eyes widened. "How did you-?" 

The woman grinned slyly. "Russian spy." 

Clint shook his head. He was also grinning. "I still can't believe Tony brought a kid to a fight." 

"I'm fifteen!" Peter said indignantly. 

Natasha wiped a streak of the fire extinguisher foam off of his temple. "What in the world were you two up to before we got here?" 

"I thought you were supposed to be a master spy!" 

Clint cackled. "He sounds just like Tony! Are you his long-lost kid or something?" 

Peter could feel his face turn red as he stammered out that he was not Tony's son, just some obnoxious kid who wouldn't leave the man alone, but Clint cut him off. 

"Chill out, kid. You're obviously not a bother. I've never seen Stark so relaxed as he was when he was with you earlier. Where'd he pick you up anyways? What's your story?" 

"I'm Peter. Peter Parker. And I got my powers after I got bitten by a radioactive spider. Mr. Stark saw some clips of Spider-Man on YouTube, decided to track him down, and he's been mentoring me on hero stuff ever since." 

"That's sweet," said Natasha, causing Peter to blush again. He decidedly liked her. 

"We could help you train a bit too," Clint offered. "Ever shot a bow?" Peter watched in awe as he slipped his weapon off of his shoulder and knocked an arrow. "A perfect target," the archer murmured. Peter's blood ran cold when he saw what he was aiming at. The orb weaver's web even looked like a bull's-eye strung up between the branches of a tree. The spider sat in the middle. She was brightly patterned and gently swaying in the breeze. 

"Stop!" Peter cried, pushing the archer's arm down. The arrow went flying and embedded itself in the lawn. 

"Kid!" Clint gasped, rubbing his arm. "Don't do that! I could've shot someone!" 

"Don't shoot my spiders!" 

Clint blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry, Peter- I wasn't even thinking!" 

"Wait," Natasha said. "Are you one of those people who carries spiders out of the house?" 

Peter didn't answer, suddenly embarrassed. Natasha's expression was amused. 

"Well, someone's got to stick up for our people," she finally said. 

"Oh my gosh!" Clint exclaimed under his breath. "A spider-mom and a spider-kid!" 

"We have to protect our little arachnids from the likes of bird-brains such as this one!" she continued, playfully nudging Clint's shoulder. 

"Oh my gosh!" Clint said again. "A Spider Protection Squad!" 

Peter laughed, relaxing again. They were obviously messing with him to lighten the mood. "You should have seen the rescue attempt this morning! I nearly gave Mr. Stark a heart attack!" He cast a worried glance back toward the Compound. He couldn't hear shouting anymore, even with his enhanced senses. "Do you think they'll be alright?" 

Clint made a face. "Eventually. I don't know how much Tony has told you about what went down between him and Steve. To be quite honest, I don't even know the whole story. They're both very stubborn though. We've got to get this whole Accords thing straightened out too, so it might take a while before everything settles down between them." 

"The Accords have him really stressed out," Peter said. 

"No kidding!" the archer said wryly. "And right now he's probably worried out of his mind about what they could do to you!" Regret overwhelmed his expression the instant the words left his mouth. 

Peter's gaze moved from the orb weaver, resting so peacefully on her web, to meet Clint's eyes. "What they could do to me?" 

Natasha quickly took over. "Peter, I can imagine Tony hasn't told you anything. Nothing's set in stone yet, and he probably doesn't want you to worry. But Thaddeus Ross is making a move to even more tightly regulate enhanced humans. What he's trying to do... It's not good to say the least. It's not right. But Tony and the Captain are fighting it. They won't let it go through." 

"But if it does, what's going to happen? To people like me, I mean?" He could feel his anxiety spiking again. 

Clint put an arm around his shoulder and steered him back towards the Compound. He still looked guilty. "It won't go through, kid." 

With the way the archer and the spy stood protectively around him, Peter felt like even if whatever Secretary Ross was trying to do went through, he would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this next installment of the Spider Protection Squad. (I'm uploading all the chapters today. Bear with me).


	4. An Eight-eyed Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony Stark tries to feel normal.

"I can't believe this. This is even worse than the first draft he sent me. What the hell is wrong with him?" 

After yelling themselves hoarse, Tony and Steve had tentatively come to some semblance of understanding. The new draft of the Accords was spread out on the kitchen table in front of them. Thaddeus Ross had sent it to Tony a couple days ago, and the man was irked that none of his edits had been factored in. In fact, the added amendments were in blatant opposition of what he had suggested. Tony had read and reread it many times over the past few days, and yet even now, reading them for about the millionth time, he couldn't stop the wave of nausea that swept over him. Yes, he still felt betrayed by Steve and the rest of the team, and _yes_ he knew that some regulation was in order to protect civilians from Avenger-inflicted damage- But this? _This?_ They didn't deserve to be treated in this way. And Peter. Tony's hand started shaking uncontrollably again at the thought of his kid locked in the Raft. Steve placed a steadying hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away. Steve looked hurt. 

"It's not going to pass, Tony. It's unconstitutional. We just have to keep fighting," the captain said softly, as if talking to a frightened animal. 

Tony bit back a sarcastic retort. If they were going to make any headway on this, he was going to have to keep his cool and cooperate. He could do that for Peter. 

A loud voice broke him out of his thoughts. 

"The Spider Protection Squad has arrived!" 

Tony glared at Clint, but his expression softened when he saw the broad grin on Peter's face. 

"The Spider Protection Squad?" Steve said with a quizzical glance in the archer's direction. 

"Yeah," Tony rolled his eyes. "You should see what the founding member did to my lab this morning." 

"If you two are done chewing each other out, I could go for some lunch!" Clint said, ignoring their comments and plopping down at the table beside Steve. 

"I concur!" Peter chipped in, sliding into the chair beside Tony. "I'm starved!" 

"We can't have that, now, can we?" Tony sighed, gathering the documents into a pile. "Sandwiches okay with everyone?" 

He pulled sandwich stuff out of the fridge, vaguely listening in on the conversation at the table. 

"Good to see you again, Queens! Been staying out of trouble, I hope?" 

Tony didn't catch Peter's reply, but he heard the awe in his voice as he addressed Captain America, and couldn't help but feel a tiny sting of jealousy. He was beginning to think it had been a mistake, dragging the kid out here. Pepper's insistent voice sounded in his head, _He'll help you keep calm, Tony. You know you aren't going to be calm this week without someone there for you, and that kid loves you to pieces. He does a pretty darn good job of grounding you, to boot. Invite him._ He glanced over at the kid, who was now animatedly recounting the morning's spider rescue attempt and felt himself relax a little. Steve, Clint, and Natasha were not immune to his charm and were completely enthralled in the story. He looked at them right then, and for a moment, _just a moment_, Siberia, the Accords, _everything_ faded a little from his mind. He took a deep breath. Maybe Pepper was right. 

Tony rejoined the group, setting a large plate of sandwiches at the center of the table. Peter eagerly grabbed one in each hand. 

"Woah there!" Natasha teased, picking up a sandwich for herself. "Tony not feeding you enough?" 

"Gotta r'lly fast metab'lism," he said through a mouthful of turkey and cheese. 

She raised an eyebrow at Tony, who shrugged. "It's a spider thing." 

"So," Tony said, clapping his hands together. He surprised himself with how put together and normal he sounded. "I was thinking we could hang out here at the Compound, since you three (here, he pointed to Clint, Natasha, and Steve) are technically still criminals on the run. I stocked up on junk food and movies on a 5 AM Wal-Mart run, so Cap and I can pull an all-nighter on a little English paper that's due tomorrow while Nat and the bird-brain babysit a certain spider-kid." 

Peter made a face. "'Babysit?' Really, Mr. Stark? I'm _fifteen!_" 

"Yeah, Mr. Stark! He's fifteen!" Clint said in a high-pitched voice, earning himself a good-natured shove from Peter. 

"If you want, I can help you with the Accords! I feel like I should have a say in the matter since Secretary Ross's amendments are going to affect me too. Plus, Ned says I have excellent editing skills." 

Tony frowned and turned to Clint. "First of all, Legolas- That was highly confidential information which was not meant for young ears. Secondly, Peter-" his voice softened here, "-no. Steve and I are handling this one." 

Peter frowned, but offered no rebuttal. Tony picked up a sandwich and, with a jolt, promptly dropped it. He sunk his face into his hand. _"Peter."_ A small spider scuttled off the sandwich. "Get it _out._" 

Clint threw his arms in the air. "This looks like a job for the Spider Protection Squad!" He shrugged at the looks he was getting from the rest of the team. "What? I feel like I have to make up for almost shooting the other one." 

"What's it doing?" said Natasha. 

Everyone (except Tony) leaned in. The small creature was turning this way and that, as if trying to take in the entire room, all at once. Then, without warning......... 

_BOOOOoooooiiiinnnnggggg!_

Tony's heart skipped several beats as the spider launched itself in the general direction of his face. 

_"AAAaaarrRRGH!!!"_

Peter caught it, mid-air. "Awe! Hi there, little guy!" he said, peering into his cupped hands. "Mr. Stark! This one's cute!" 

"Take it outside, kid! _Now!_" 

He must have heard the exasperated tone in his mentor's voice. Or his shaky breaths or his elevated heart-rate, because Peter immediately stood up from the table, and went to find the nearest door to the outside of the Compound. When he returned, he addressed Natasha and Clint. 

"What movies are we watching tonight?" 

Tony was relieved when everyone had settled in. Peter, Nat, and Clint were on the couch, watching some stupid video of a dancing spider. He and Steve were in the adjoining room, and the Accords were spread out again. They had each taken half of the documents in order to read them over carefully to make sure they fully understood what was going on. Every once in a while, they would trade notes or make suggestions on things to change to make the document more clear or more specific. 

"Tony?" Steve said, glancing up from a paper. He met his gaze. "I really am sorry about what happened in Siberia." 

Tony grasped his left wrist to keep it from shaking and nodded. "Me too." 

The sound of Peter running his mouth a mile a minute in the background caused them both to smile a little. Steve chuckled, shaking his head. "And don't worry. We won't let Ross touch him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it. Nobody is very in-character, so sorry for that.


	5. The Stuff of Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has a nightmare. Tony listens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony, honey. Are you absolutely sure you're not in the Spider Protection Squad?

Tony clutched his coffee mug and reread the same sentence he had already read three times. It was approaching 3 AM, and he still had several sections to edit before he could be satisfied with the document. Steve had dozed off at the table beside him. The chatter from the rest of the team had long-since died down. He glanced at his phone, wondering if Pepper was still awake. A sudden noise interrupted his thoughts, and he stood to investigate. 

It seemed that the Spider Protection Squad had evenly distributed themselves across the room and were now passed out. Nat had claimed an armchair and Clint was stretched out on the floor. He hadn't even bothered to remove his shoes. The Squad's leader had claimed the entirety of the couch and was curled up with his face buried in the back cushion. Tony smiled softly, and made a move to draw the blanket up over the kid's shoulders, but stopped short. Peter's shoulders were shaking, and Tony thought he could hear small sobs. 

"Hey, kid?" 

No answer. 

"Pete?" he tried again, a little more loudly. 

Still no answer. He knelt and reached out a hesitant hand to gently shake the kid awake. Peter gasped and sat bolt upright, his elbow smacking into Tony's face. 

"Mr. Stark? Mr. Stark! I'm so sor-" 

"Don't finish that sentence, kid!" Tony said, a hand to his nose. He mentally made a note to stay out of the striking zone the next time he had to wake a teenager with the super-strength. Peter looked horrified. 

"You want to talk about it? My therapist usually encourages me to talk about it. The nightmares, I mean. You don't have to if you don't want to, but if you do, I'll listen." Tony knew he was rambling. Peter rubbed the tears from his cheeks. "Or we could take a walk. I've been at that stupid desk for about six hours now and I'm starting to go cross-eyed. Walking also helps, I think and it's a nice night out." 

"A walk sounds nice," Peter said quietly. 

It _was_ a nice night outside the Compound. The air was warm and overhead, thousands of stars scintillated, pricking a velvet sky. Peter had insisted on bringing a couple of flashlights. The pair followed a path that ran alongside a stand of trees. Peter made a motion for them to stop, and crouched down. 

"Watch this," he said, swinging his beam of light into the grass. Tony watched. At first, he had no clue what he was supposed to be looking for. Then, a sudden scintillation caught his eye. And another. And another. It was as if the stars had fallen to the ground and nestled into the grass. 

"What are they?" 

"Spider eyes." 

Tony met Peter's eyes in disbelief. 

"They reflect the light," he explained. 

Tony laughed, not sure if it was pretty or creepy. The best way he could describe it was _wild_. Yes, it was wild. "Since when are you into spiders? You weren't like this a few months ago." 

Peter didn't take his eyes off the grass. "I got sick of being afraid of them, so I learned about them. Studied them. It's helped a lot- I'm not so scared of them anymore." 

"Huh. Spider-Man, afraid of spiders," Tony murmured. 

Peter just shrugged. "That bite hurt. A _lot._" 

They lapsed into silence as they took in the sparkling grass. There were _so many_. After a beat, Peter carried on as if he hadn't stopped. "That's sort of what it was about." Tony didn't have to ask what "it" was to know he was referring to whatever nightmare had him in its grasp earlier. Peter shuddered. "It was right after I got bit and got my powers. We were in the alleyway and there was this shadow and... And I couldn't stop the bullet- I- I mean I could have, but I didn't. I didn't know what to do! It was all s-so fast a-and Uncle Ben," Peter made a strangled noise in the back of his throat as the tears started falling again. Tony, feeling at a loss for what to do, knelt beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He had known that the kid had lost his uncle not too long before Tony walked into his life. He had never tried to approach the subject with him, but May had told him that Peter had been there that night when it happened. 

"Some nights, it just replays in my mind, over and over. And I regret-" he shook his head, like he didn't want to continue. Tony knew there was nothing he could do to fix this, and he hated it. He tightened his grip on the kid's shoulder. 

"Sorry," Peter laughed half-heartedly, rubbing his eyes. "Thanks for sticking around the past year. I know I can be clingy and a bit much, but-" 

Tony cut him off by pulling him into a tight hug. "Stop. I don't mind the clinginess. And "a bit much"? Have you _met_ me?" He felt Peter relax a little. "I love you, kid. I hope you know that." 

"Yeah. I think I do." 

They took one more look at the glowing eyes and got up to make their way back to the Compound. Tony was deep in thought when Peter spoke up again. "Am I going to be able to keep looking out for the little guy with these new Accords? I don't want what happened to my uncle to happen to someone else. I can't sit back and do nothing again." 

Tony slung an arm around his shoulder. "I sure hope so." 

"When do you have to finish the edits?" 

"Um... 9 AM." 

Peter halted, looking a little shocked. "You weren't kidding about needing to pull an all-nighter!" 

Tony shook his head, feeling exhaustion seep into his bones. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep though. He was dreading meeting with Ross in the morning. 

"Let me help you." 

Tony was going to protest, but the kid cut him off. "You're way tired. You need someone who's had a little sleep to look over things and make sure you're being clear and grammatically correct." 

To his surprise, Tony found himself agreeing. "But you _do not_ add anything or make any changes unless you run them by me first! Got it?" 

Peter nodded earnestly. They entered the Compound and found that everyone had shifted a little. Natasha had stolen a few pillows off the couch and Clint was no longer wearing shoes. Steve was now asleep in one of the armchairs beside the couch. Tony had to admit that it felt kind of good to have his team members back, even if it was on a clandestine mission to make sure this horrible situation didn't get any worse. He wondered again at how Clint had managed to escape his ankle monitor. 

Peter settled at the table, turned on a lamp, and began sifting through papers. They worked until Tony could no longer hold his eyes open. He didn't even remember falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually a thing. Spider eyes are reflective. Look it up, it's cool.


	6. Tony and the Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony joins the Spider Protection Squad.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Tony's shoe jittered against the floor as he sat in the uncomfortable chair outside of the conference room, waiting for Secretary Ross to arrive. A nervous energy- or maybe it was just coffee- coursed through him. 

He had been woken up by Nat around 6 AM. Steve had made breakfast and Clint had set a giant mug of coffee in front of him. Apparently, Peter was still asleep. He couldn't blame him- he only wished he was still asleep. 

"Do us proud today, Ironman!" Clint had said. 

Nat had rolled her eyes. "You've got this Tony." 

The gestures had been kind. Though he still didn't really trust them fully, he felt like that was okay. Everything might just be okay. 

Now, he stood as Secretary Ross rounded the corner, carrying several file folders. 

"Stark." 

"Ross." 

They entered the conference room. Tony handed over the folder of edits. "I worked on this all night. I'm expecting an A+." 

Ross chuckled. "You ever take anything seriously, Stark?" 

"Some might say I take everything too seriously!" 

They sat down at the table across from each other. 

"And while we're being serious, may I say that your new draft of the Sokovia Accords sucked?" 

Ross laughed hollowly. "May I remind you what they did to you in that airport in Germany? Why do you keep standing up for these freaks?" 

Tony frowned, feeling his left hand start to shake. "My feelings aside, Earth needs defenders. You don't have any _idea_ what's out there. I do, and it's bad. We need to be ready for it. And..." He gripped the arm of his chair to stop the tremors. "They're people too." 

A sudden motion caught Tony's eye. A small spider peeked out from under one of Ross's file folders. He smiled at it. He wondered if Peter would be able to tell what kind it was. It retreated under the file again, as if what it saw scared it. 

"What are you smirking at?" 

He shook his head. 

"You really need to decide whose side you're on," the man continued. He fumbled and dropped the folder in his hand as the spider suddenly plucked up the courage to skitter out into the light. 

"What's the matter, Ross? Scared of spiders?" Tony said coolly. 

"Don't worry. I've got it." Secretary Ross raised the file folder, aiming at the spider. Without thinking, Tony seized his wrist. 

"Stark! What the hell's gotten into you?!" he yelled in surprise, yanking his arm away. 

Without a word, Tony picked up the spider, transferred the creature to his left shoulder, folded his arms across his chest, and nodded curtly at the bewildered man. "Make the changes to the Accords that I suggested. It's in everyone's best interest. Mr. Spider and I will check in with you next week." 

With that, he got up and left the man sputtering in his chair. It might have been the sleep deprivation, but Tony was feeling lighter than he had in weeks as he exited the government building. Even though he knew it was far from over, and he would be doing this again in the coming weeks, he felt a little more hopeful. The sunlight outside was nearly blinding. He found his car in the parking lot and started the engine. 

"So how'd it go?" 

Tony yelled. 

Peter snorted in laughter. 

"Kid?! Have you been in here this whole time?!" he said, feeling his voice jump several octaves. He swore Peter Parker was going to give him a heart attack one of these days. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned to face the grinning kid. 

"As well as expected, I guess." 

"You have a friend on your shoulder," Peter pointed out, reaching to pick up the spider. Tony waved off his hand. He threw the car in reverse and pulled out of the lot. 

"Isn't it hot in here? Your aunt will kill me if I let you die of heat stroke. I don't know about you, but I am in dire need of some ice cream."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one time, I was in the car with my mentor after a day of field work and I looked over at her and she had a spider on her leg and I was like "Look! You have a spider-friend!" and instead of letting it out the window, she just set it on her hand and drove all the way back to school with a spider perched on her hand. This was my first fic. Hope you liked it. Comment if you want.


End file.
